Beautiful, beautiful real wedding

Things are super busy around here at the moment, which leaves little time for blogging but I just had to share with you the gorgeousness that is this wedding (seen over at Once Wed & 100 Layer Cake). The details (oh the details) leave me totally swooning over it. Shot beautifully by Erin hearts Court, it has such a soft romantic vibe with plenty of yummy vintage elements. I have been following their work for some time now and it's seriously amazing - and as well as the photography Courtney designs fabulous stationery - what a talented and creative team!

These table displays are to die for! I love what you can do when you search out eclectic items and put them all together in a cohesive way. The flowers and the coordination of the event was done by their friend Meg from La Partie Events - wouldn't you be pleased to have a friend like her??
Anyway enough said, onto the stunning images.....

Have a great Friday!

Beautiful ranunculus

I don't think I've ever had had ranunculus (funny name right?) in my house but that is so going to change when they next come into season - which is spring, so just around the corner!! They are GORGEOUS!! I love the texture of them and so many colours to choose from. I love, love, love the big bouquet of white ones!

Board#15: Vibrant Earth

Whilst not really a pink girl, I do like the juxtaposition of it with this earthy olive green. The olive really tones the pink down, whilst the vibrant fuchsia lifts what could be quite a drab look into a new light. I'd be doing rustic tables featuring a hopsack, twine and succulents and then pretty pretty flowers for the contrast. Does anyone else REALLY really want an artichoke wreath on their door or is it just me??


Top row from left: Flowers from Kathleen Deery Design, courtyard photo from Valls Photographic, cake from Sedona Cakes, Birdsong invite suite from Ruby & Willow
2nd row: Grove invite suite from Ruby & Willow, dress photo by Perskie,
3rd row: Green placecards via Mi Belle

Feather Bouquets

A bouquet with a difference!! I recently stumbled across Emplume, who make these fabulous unique feather bouquets, perfect if you're looking for something with a point of difference - not to mention it will last way beyond the wedding day. I love the white one, it looks so soft and inviting! Best of all they ship them anywhere in the world so no one need miss out. What do we think?

Miss Matched

How's this for a gorgeous collection of miss-matched bridesmaids dresses. I love, love LOVE this trend. Looking good ladies!













via Southern Weddings Mag

Real Wedding: Sean + Wendy

The lovely Amanda Wignell sent me this gorgeous wedding that took place at Mollies in St Mary's Bay, Auckland, which is a gorgeous luxury boutique hotel and a fantastic venue for an intimate celebration. Wendy's dress was designed by Kate Dowman whilst Sean's suit was from Working Style. Amber Haldane did a beautiful job on the hair and makeup, and the flowers were done by Annie Strong from Wild Poppies.




How did you meet?
Sean and I met through my best friend Frances who was my bridesmaid at a party we had at our house in Devonport 13 ½ years ago.
Tell us about your proposal:
Sean proposed 3 years ago after being away working in Taupo for 7 weeks, after not seeing each other for so long he decided it was time to get married.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:
I chose a Kate Dowman dress as I have driven past her shop for many years on my way to work and always loved the dresses displayed in the window. I met with Kate and tried on several dresses and chose a strapless gown from the Orchid range, it had an organza overlay, ruched bodice, a customised crystal and pearl beaded belt and a small train.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding?
We wanted a small intimate wedding and chose Mollies in St. Mary’s Bay for our ceremony and reception so we based our wedding theme on Mollies which is classic and very elegant.
Describe your wedding flowers:
My bouquet was cream Bianca roses bound with satin ribbon and pearl pins, my Bridesmaid had a posy of vintage pale pink roses with satin ribbon and pearl pins, the Groom and Best man had cream rose button holes. The flowers for the venue were taken care of by Mollies and were an assortment of beautiful colours.
Describe your wedding cake:
We had a simple white two tier square cake with white ribbon around the base made by one of my good friends.
Favourite detail of the day:
Would be the venue Mollies, it was the most beautiful setting we could ever had wished for in a wedding and the staff took care of everything, when we went back to our room they had lit candles everywhere and had music playing, it was perfect.
What advise would you give out to someone planning their wedding?
Plan the wedding you want to have not what other people want as it’s your day and keep it as simple as you can. On the day relax and go with the flow, make the most of your wedding day as it goes by so fast.
Most memorable moment?
Walking down the isle with my Dad and seeing Sean waiting for me looking so happy and the surprise opera concert Mollies put on for us during our reception, it was just amazing.
What’s next for you as a couple?
We will be very quiet for awhile as it’s been a very busy year, we had my 40th in January the wedding in March and have just had our honeymoon in the USA. It’s time now to save some money and hopefully buy another house by the end of the year, Sean would like to start his own business soon so we are working towards that and we hope to do another trip sometime next year.

Thanks for sharing your day with us Sean & Wendy. We wish you all the best for your future together!

Ruby & Willow Sale

Only two weeks until we make the big transition. Kate Holland Design will be officially be found at www.rubyandwillow.co.nz which means that the giftware we offer will go offline for a while until we rebuild it on the new site. So in the meantime we have our largest ever clearance sale.....great news for those of you who like to be organised and get your Christmas shopping done early! Take a peak at some great deals but be in quick, only until September 4th.

Beautiful and moving

This isn't exactly wedding related but it's just so clever I had to share. What a talent! You'd just wouldn't expect it could be so moving and emotional. Very impressed!

Amalia's diary 2

For me it’s all things dress at the moment! I found a picture of what I wanted almost immediately and have been lucky enough to find a designer who has been able to turn my dream into a reality that also compliments my not-so-dreamlike body! I was a bit worried the picture with the model in it and the dress on a normal person would not quite work, but with a little design brilliance and some German engineering in the form of a few stays and bones, I feel like a model myself! Anna Schimmel was not only able to hear my vision and imagine something better; she was also able to turn the fantasy into something that suits my body type.

The thing I am finding really tricky at the moment is the shoes. It’s really hard to find pretty flat bridal shoes; they either look like first communion pumps or shoes for wartime nurses’ uniforms! And even worse, the are often as much as pretty heels. It’s funny how many bridal store and shoe shop assistants have said “why would you want flats?” So my current response, through gritted teeth as they’re bringing me a line of high heel shoes, is: “Because I want flats”. But I’ve struck gold at an Indian sari shop that has a collection of gorgeous flats in beautiful jewel- like colours. Perfect selection for bridesmaids and brides, and often there are embroidered shoes for little feet – suitable for flower girls. So now I have some delicately sparkly flats that will be comfortable, pretty and they were only $40!

As for other things we need to organise, we are in a lull at the moment. Everything that was urgent – like the reception venue or booking the church and finding the dress – has been done. The next big things we have on the wedding to do list are finding suits and meeting with our florist to discuss how the flowers will bring an added element to our day. I am busily collecting pictures of bouquets to show Sue from Flowers at Pink, and am thinking rich coloured orchids and other sumptuous blooms of some kind, but she will tell me how things work together and what is available at that time of year. Then I will be able to picture my dress, my shoes and my flowers!

Real Wedding: Lana & James

I'm delighted to have another wedding to feature by the wonderfully talented Nicole Marsden! And this is one of my clients so it's extra special! The lucky things have just returned from an extended honeymoon backpacking through South America so I felt it was only fair that the happy couple themselves got to see their lovely pics before I posted them. Lana & James were lucky enough to get married at the beautiful Craggy Range Winery in the Hawkes Bay. Lana's gorgeous dress was made by Jane Yeh, the bridesmaids dresses were from Trelise Cooper and the hair and makeup were done by Zealous in Hastings. All stationery designed Ruby & Willow. We used a twisting leaf motif that worked in well with the Autum theme, presented it in a pale gold pocketfold with cascading information cards. You can see more of the stationery on here.




A few words from the bride:
How did you meet?
James had just moved to Auckland to work after being at Otago Uni and we met at his flat warming.
Tell us about your proposal:
We travelled around parts of Asia last summer and were on the island of Koh Phangan. One afternoon we decided to go kayaking along the coastline. We pulled into a secluded little beach for a rest and to admire the view. This is where James got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He had had a temporary ring made (he knew I would want to choose my engagement ring) and was carrying it in his pocket. It was a lovely surprise!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:
I had seen a picture of a Jane Yeh dress which I thought was exactly what I wanted so I went and tried it on. I really liked it but my consultant went away and came back with another dress that she suggested I try on ¨just for fun¨. This dress was made from gold silk organza and once I had it on I knew this was actually the dress for me.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding?
We decided to get married in Autumn at Craggy Range vineyard in Hawkes Bay so we wanted to incorporate the colours and images that would be seen in the vineyard at that time of year. I then added to this one of my favourite colours (pink) which was incorporated in my bridesmaids´ dresses and the flowers.
Describe your wedding flowers:
Lots of roses! Cream for me and a mix of different shades of pink for my bridesmaids and my flower girl. The flowers in the chapel for the ceremony were quite traditional. White and cream flowers with lots of lilies.
Describe your wedding cake:
I was the third cousin to get married in my extended family. My two cousins before me had asked our Auntie Anne (my Dad´s sister) to make their wedding cake and so I wanted to carry on this new family tradition. Anne is not a professional cake maker but has always had a reputation for being an excellent cook. She did an amazing job with our cake! It was three layers, each a different flavour (fruit, carrot and chocolate) and it was delicious. Each layer was adorned with pink roses. With over 10 cousins yet to be married I think she will be in high demand over the up and coming years!
Favourite detail of the day:
Walking into the chapel, as a good friend of ours was singing, to see all of our family and friends and James standing at the other end of the aisle.
What advise would you give out to someone planning their wedding?
Enjoy the planning stage as much as possible as the wedding day goes so quickly.
Most memorable moment?
The first time James and I saw each other.

Sneak Peak - Lana & James

Check back later today to see more of this fabulous wedding by Nicole Marsden!

Bad blogger!

Woah....have I been a bad blogger!! Sorry for the lack of posts lately. The problem with going on holiday is when you return, the catching up on emails, queries, getting jobs out etc, means the holiday is forgotten all too quickly! Busy, busy! So I'm pretty much up straight again now thank goodness. Promise to be back to it soon!
My busy few days was all worth it though as I got to laze around here for a week!!!

Punam Bean

Whilst many of you will have seen this shoot already when it did the rounds a few months back, I couldn't leave it out. Beautifully shot by Punam Bean it's got to be one of my all time favourites. Whilst not actually an engagement shoot (more of a 'in-love' shoot) it's still fitting. The combination of the beautiful subjects, those 'to die for' outfits and the stunning photography makes it stand out as one of the best. Check out her website and blog for more jaw-dropping inspiration!

Simply Bloom Photography

Following on from my feature on Engagement Photos yesterday I thought I'd bring you some of my favourite shoots. This first one featured in yesterday's board, it's so lovely and whimsical (and how much cuter does a little puppy make them!!). These stunning shots are from Simply Bloom, who's work I'm totally in love with. The quality of the photos is fantastic. Check out their blog for oodles of photos to drool over!

Engagement Photos

Gosh, missed yesterday, late today.....my good run of blogging every day has been broken!! I'm getting ready for my Fiji holiday tomorrow so plenty of jobs to get out before I leave, not to mention packing, trying to sell our house and a long list of other to-do's!

Anyway ENGAGEMENT photos!! Whilst not so many of us do this here in New Zealand, in the US it seems to be quite popular and I think it's a brilliant idea. They're so creative and a lot of fun and they really allow your personality to shine through. Speak to your photographer about including it in your whole wedding package, and then have a think about what really speaks about you as a couple. Is it somewhere in the middle of the city, or a quiet beach? You may want to include your pets (which may not be involved on the wedding day??), or a fun hobby, or just go to your favourite place. Whatever you do, the key is to relax and be yourself which I think can sometimes be easier said than done on the actual wedding day, when you're itching to get back and socialise with your guests - at least that's what my husband wanted to do!!
Here are a few of my favourite shots!


Left column from top: Stephanie Williams (top 4), yellow field Jose Villa, on the Pier; Stephanie Williams, Mark Brooke
Right column from top: Simply Bloom, Jose Villa, Stephanie Williams (polaroids and bike), Jose Villa

Board#14: Ethereal Beauty

Happy Monday everyone!
I love the combination of this palest of blues (aquamarine) with white, it has such an ethereal quality to it. Whilst white features in almost every wedding as an accent, when you introduce different textures and shades it has a whole new element to it and could easily be used throughout your wedding design. Bouquets could be all white with different textures; think magnolia, roses, babys breath, hydrangeas, ranunculus, peonies ....you wouldn't be short of options! The aquamarine in this adds another dimension, rather than use as an all out accent colour, just subtle hints of the colour does the trick.






















Top row from left: photo by Ericka McConnell, both gowns by Jane Yeh
2nd row: cake via Martha Stewart, photo by Janne Peters, photo by Gemma Comas, Escort Chart via Martha Stewart
3rd row: hair piece by Twigs & Honey, table setting via Martha Stewart, photo via Coty Farquar
4th row: photo by Simply Bloom, ring cushion photo by Lisa Lefkowitz, magnolia photo by Janne Peters

Inventing Weddings

I recently discovered the blog Inventing Weddings which is a fabulous resource for anyone wanting to buy products from Etsy for their wedding. The great thing about it is you can simply click on the products you like and it takes you straight to the Etsy shop you can buy them from - it just doesn't get any easier than that!
Today they have very kindly featured my Hanalei wedding suite in one of their inspiration boards as well as a selection of my other work so a big thankyou to Inventing Weddings. Go and check our their blog for plenty of inspiration!